Massachusetts Apostille

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Massachusetts, for $6 per document. Pick the document and the country to see what it needs first and how to send it. This runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Massachusetts office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

This runs in your browser. Nothing you pick is sent, saved or added to the page address.

Pick the state where the document was issued, recorded or notarized, not the state you live in.

Choose who issued the document, the kind of document and the country to see the steps.

Who issues apostilles in Massachusetts

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Massachusetts come from Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Public Records Division, Commissions Section). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $6 per document. (source)
  • Certification (Certificate of Appointment) (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $6 per document (same fee as an apostille). (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Boston): mail the request form, the original documents, a check payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a prepaid return envelope; name the destination country (source)
  • In person (Boston): Commissions Section counter in Boston, or the regional offices in Springfield and Fall River; up to three documents at the counter, four or more picked up after 3 p.m. the next business day (source)
  • Request form: Apostille/Certification Request Form
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Mailed requests are processed within two to three weeks. (source)
  • At the Boston counter, up to three documents are done per visit; four or more are ready after 3 p.m. the next business day. (source)

What Massachusetts needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Get a certified copy that carries the original signature of a city or town clerk (or assistant) or the Registrar of Vital Records. (source)
  • For a birth certificate, contact the Office of Vital Records or the city or town clerk where the birth was recorded. (source)
  • For a marriage certificate, get a certified copy from the city or town clerk where the marriage license was filed. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • For a divorce decree, request a certified copy from the district court clerk where the decree was filed; the copy needs the court clerk's original signature. (source)

Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)

  • Check that the Massachusetts notary signed exactly as commissioned, completed the notarial certificate, wrote the commission expiration date and applied a legible seal. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • For an in-state school record, have the school registrar certify the transcript or diploma in front of a notary. (source)
  • The notary then notarizes the registrar's signature, and the notarized record goes to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. (source)

Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not say on its page whether this kind of document needs a step first. Ask the office before you mail an original.

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issues its Certification (Certificate of Appointment) instead of an apostille. Then:

  • For a country outside the Convention, send the state-certified document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. (source)

Last, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it; ask it about its own steps, fees and timing before you send anything.

What the office will not accept or handle

  • Photocopied signatures. (source)
  • Notarized copies of federal, in-state or out-of-state government documents. (source)
  • Out-of-state school transcripts and diplomas. (source)
  • Massachusetts does not authenticate federal documents; the federal agency that issued them must. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  • It does not cover documents from another state or a federal agency; those go to their own office.
  • It does not list embassy legalization rules for countries outside the Convention.
  • It does not promise processing times; fees and forms change, so check the office's page before you send originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get an apostille in Massachusetts?

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Massachusetts. The fee is $6 per document. Requests can be mailed to the office in Boston. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Massachusetts?

Get a certified copy that carries the original signature of a city or town clerk (or assistant) or the Registrar of Vital Records. For a birth certificate, contact the Office of Vital Records or the city or town clerk where the birth was recorded. For a marriage certificate, get a certified copy from the city or town clerk where the marriage license was filed. Then send it to Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the $6 fee, naming the destination country.

Does a document notarized in Massachusetts need a county clerk certification first?

Check that the Massachusetts notary signed exactly as commissioned, completed the notarial certificate, wrote the commission expiration date and applied a legible seal.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issues its certification (certificate of appointment) instead of an apostille. Send it next to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document); the destination country's embassy or consulate then legalizes it.

How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so a state office cannot apostille it. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications handles it: send Form DS-4194, the document and the $20 fee per document. The form asks for the country where the document will be used.

Do I need a paid apostille service?

No. Every office on this page accepts requests directly from the public by mail, and some take them online. A service can only file the same request with the same office for you.

Sources

Massachusetts office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

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